Housing Voice is the campaign alliance established in 2011 to champion the need for more affordable homes to buy or rent.

With the shortfall in housing projected to be 750,000 by 2025, the average house price more than 8 times the average salary, more than one 1.8 million households on waiting lists, the average age of a first time buyer being 37 and rents in the private rented sector continuing to grow faster than incomes in many parts of the country, NOW is the time for a new approach.

Housing Voice launched an Affordable Homes Crisis Inquiry in 2011 which is supported by Citizens Advice, CDS Co-operatives, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), National Union of Students (NUS), Sitra – the charity for supported people, TPAS, TUC and UNISON.

Lord Larry Whitty is the chair of the Housing Voice Affordable Homes Crisis Inquiry and secretariat support is provided by Connect Communications.

Housing Voice heard from:

61 contribuors at four sub-national hearings held across England - so we heard “voices” from rural areas such as Cornwall and the Derbyshire Dales to urban hotspots such as Westminster and York as well as areas with significant deprivation, such as Hackney and Blackburn;

businesses, public sector organisations and voluntary and community groups;

MPs from all major political parties;

2,902 on line and hard copy surveys; testing civic society’s voice on this crucial issue.

We hope that our report and its recommendations will be taken forwrad by government and policy makers and help to tackle the affordable housing crisis now and for future generations.

The Minister, Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, and the Opposition Housing Minister Jack Dromey MP as well as the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group, Stephen Gilbert MP, have been invited to welcome the report at its launch.